June 1, 2012

in straight up, the artist performs an interpretive sign language version of paula abdul's 1988 number one single of the same name. it is, at first glance, an unencumbered cover of pina bausch's nelken (1982), in which a man spells out gershwin's "the man i love" in sign language as the soundtrack plays in the background, progressively picking up speed. over the course of straight up, however, the artist gradually becomes inebriated, and the choreography begins to deteriorate in parallel, becoming less precise, and more organic. as the piece progresses, a series of glittery after effects is implemented onto the composition, mirroring -- or perhaps, parodying -- the artist's increasingly visibly compromised condition.
excerpt from exhibition text